Algeria has still not digested the CAN 2021. Reigning champions, the Greens were eliminated in the first round. This Saturday, Alexandre Oukidja came out strongly against the organization of the AFCON, which was “catastrophic”.
Alexandre Oukidja’s outing is sure to be the talk of the town. The Algerian international has severely criticized the organization of the AFCON 2021 in Cameroon. The 35-year-old goalkeeper even went so far as to describe the Competitions “disgusting”. “The AFCON in Cameroon was catastrophic. I asked Slimani and Riyad Mahrez because they had played in several AFCONs. They’d played in quite a few. Islam told me it was the worst. The stench in the corridors was catastrophic”. “The organization of the pitches was abysmal. “Strangely enough, we had Covid and the Cameroonians had nothing.
Alexandre Oukidja and his team-mates will not have had a long stay in Cameroon. They were eliminated in the first round with two defeats, to Equatorial Guinea (1-0) and Côte d’Ivoire (3-1). Reigning champions Algeria finished bottom of their group with just one point. A disappointing performance that the Algerians are still coming to terms with. After this dismal performance, they failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. They were crucified by a Karl Toko-Ekambi goal on home turf in the second leg of the play-off. A defeat that traumatized even some of the Algerian national team’s players.
